


Star-Crossed

by TheGardenState



Category: Twilight, Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Imprinting (Twilight), Non-Human Bella Swan, Out of Character Bella Swan, thegardenstate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:34:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26490472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGardenState/pseuds/TheGardenState
Summary: Bella Swan reimagined as a werewolf."They were just stories they told us when we were little. I was convinced they were just tales to scare us as we sat around campfires. We were made to fear pale-skinned demons that roamed the world, mindlessly feasting upon the blood of humans. We were told that some are born to ward away these demons and change their shape to protect humanity. They were portrayed as the heroes of these tales, but for some reason, they frightened me just as much.When I got older, I started to believe in these stories. The people I knew started changing, and not in a typical puberty way, but more in the way of them shedding their skin and changing into monsters in the night. I am not religious, but when my cousin changed, I stayed up every night for weeks and prayed that it wouldn’t happen to me. I guess no one was listening because I spent the night after my 17th birthday howling in the desert."
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Paul Lahote/Bella Swan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	1. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> So... like many of you, I was thrown back into my shameful, Twilight loving past since the release of Midnight Sun. Feeling 13 again, I wanted to rework one of my favorite stories from when I was younger.
> 
> However, growing older and developing more of a need for drama and conflict, I wanted to change some aspects of this beloved story to create higher stakes. 
> 
> I wanted to keep all of the characters in the original story, but change a few aspects of this saga. The main things I am changing are that Bella is a werewolf and literally everything else in her life to make things more interesting (and hopefully make HER more interesting). I wanted to add more lore behind vampires and shapeshifters. This story is NOT cannon and I really should be working on my thesis, but I hope you can enjoy it anyways.

They were just stories they told us when we were little. I was convinced they were just tales to scare us as we sat around campfires. We were made to fear pale-skinned demons that roamed the world, mindlessly feasting upon the blood of humans. We were told that some are born to ward away these demons and change their shape to protect humanity. They were portrayed as the heroes of these tales, but for some reason, they frightened me just as much. 

When I got older, I started to believe in these stories. The people I knew started changing, and not in a typical puberty way, but more in the way of them shedding their skin and changing into monsters in the night. I am not religious, but when my cousin changed, I stayed up every night for weeks and prayed that it wouldn’t happen to me. I guess no one was listening because I spent the night after my 17th birthday howling in the desert. 

Being the only werewolf in the suburbs of Arizona can be isolating. The past two months had been grueling, being cautious of my deep secret. I felt myself slipping away from my peers; my grades were slipping as well. It felt like I couldn’t get a grip on anything. My mother had moved away from our pack when I was young, and since then, their numbers were dwindling as more people moved away. I would definitely classify her as a free-spirit. We were always moving on a whim. It wasn’t until she got sick when we moved finally settled in Arizona so we could be closer to my grandparents. I miss the way she danced to her old 80’s music, and we would stay up late talking about a book we had picked up from the library she worked at to read together. It didn’t matter what book it was; we read everything from science fiction to self-help, as long as there were two copies available on the shelf. She always had something to say about everything, so we talked about everything, no matter how obscure it was. She would have definitely been able to talk me through this. 

The loneliness was really getting to me after her passing, and I think my grandparents could tell. A few options were thrown around where I could go if I wanted to leave Phoenix; I could move to Sweeden, there was a city of shapeshifters there from all over the world. The Council was also in Sweeden so that I could learn more about the history of our people and get more in touch with family I hadn’t met yet. It seemed nice enough from what I was told, but I don’t think I was quite ready to leave the country. Another option was to move to the La Push Reservation, where some people from my original pack had moved. My grandfather’s good friend, Billy Black, had offered a room at his house for me to stay after he found out that I had turned. I stayed there many summers growing up, playing with all the other kids that lived on the reservation. Some of my only friends were in Washington, and the idea of being able to go back there and feel like I truly belonged to something made the decision obvious.

So, La Push was a new beginning, another move, but this time was different: I was going alone. My mom wouldn’t be beside me on the plane, flipping through her gossip magazine and pointing out photos of famous people who were in the latest scandal. I’d be on the plane, sitting next to someone I don’t know quietly for a few hours before landing in Bremerton airport. Then Leah, Jacob, and Seth were supposed to be picking me up from the for the two-hour drive back to La Push. It was nice of them to make the trek out for me, and I was excited because it had been about a year before I last saw them.

Standing outside of the airport was bittersweet; the Phoenix sun was beaming down on me, and I tried to soak it in as much as possible before heading to the dreariness of Washington’s coast. 

“Bella,” my grandmother said with a crack in her voice, “I’m going to miss you.” I tried to hold back tears as I embraced her. 

“I’ll miss you too, but I’ll come visit, and I know you’ll come to see me too.”

“Of course,” she smiled, although she was crying. I couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling, losing my mother, and then having me move away. It must be hard getting older and watching everyone around you coming and going, knowing time is limited with the people you love. That’s all I could think about during the plane ride. I tried to drown out thoughts of guilt with some music and the copy of Little Women I had thrown into my backpack. 

When the plane landed, I nearly jumped out of my seat, remembering who would be waiting for me outside. Seeing the three of them standing there made me forget how sad it was to leave Arizona. I couldn’t help but to make a break for it and jump into Jacob’s arms as Leah and Seth embraced us. 

“You got taller!” I yelled at him as he set me back down.

“Or,” he started with a smirk, “you got shorter.”

Seth clung to my side and I roughed up his hair. I always treated him like he was small, although he was taller than me now. Guess the boys were hitting their growth spurt. I’m glad to see Seth getting taller though, so the other boys wouldn’t pick on him for being the youngest. Though he was a lot younger, we always had gotten along. I think it’s because we always felt like the odd man out. All the guys picked on him for being sensitive, and they got after me sometimes for being an outsider. 

“I hope you brought a coat, Bella, you’re not in Phoenix anymore,” Leah said as she motioned towards the window. Light snowflakes were falling and starting to stick to the pavement. 

“She’s a million degrees warm,” Seth exclaimed. I embarrassedly pulled away from him. Leah gave me a look of understanding. I’m sure her dad and Billy had talked to her about why I was moving. She was old enough to know that the stories we were told are true, especially since Sam turned. I thought they’d be together forever by the way she had always talked about him. Leah was head over heels in love, but Sam imprinted on Emily. I'm sure it broke her heart, but could she really be mad at him? Sam had no choice.

My mother explained imprinting to me in a very simple way; it was a genetic match. Someone who you'd love till the end of time, and you'd do anything to protect at any cost. That's at least how she explained it to me. It was just a genetic code, pushing two people towards survival. 

There were a lot of things I learned about shapeshifters from my mom. I learned that geography dictates what form you take. Most people in North America turn into things like wolves, foxes, cougars, and bears. What fine-tunes it is the community you are surrounded by. Most of the people from the great Northwest are wolves, so that’s the lucky pick I got. There are packs in Asia I heard that turn into tigers and some in Africa that shift into lions, which  is badass.

My grandfather stopped shifting when my grandmom started aging more. When she turned 35 is when they started the whole process of "growing old'' together. Apparently you don't even get a choice to stop until after you've imprinted, trust me, I’ve tried. This whole mechanism  of imprinting just seems like a way to perpetuate the shapeshifting gene. It seems like love has nothing to do with it, though seeing my grandparents together sometimes made me second guess that.

It's strange to think that I'm going to look like this for a few more decades. What if I never find someone to imprint on? And I’m doomed to walk this earth forever. What if I run out of books to read?

The two-hour car ride to La Push went by fast. We played loud music and sang, talked about what happened in the last year. They asked me if I was excited to go to school, and I was hesitant. The only person I’d know who’d be in junior classes with me was Paul.

"I bet you really miss Paul," Jacob teased, and I became red in the cheeks. He turned around to face me as I was sitting in the back seat, trying to avoid his comment.

"I bet you need to shut up and turn the music louder," I snapped back, holding in a smile, "I like this song."

We laughed the rest of the way as we pulled up to the Black Residence. Billy was waiting out on the porch with a big smile. I walked over to him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I hope I wasn’t too much of a burden on him for being here. I had already done a phone interview with the Forks local library and was due to start next week. I know my grandparents had to be compensating for me staying somehow, but luckily he had two empty beds since Rachel and Rebecca moved out. I was already planning on doing as much as I could around the house to make myself useful, cooking, cleaning, adding a woman’s touch to the home of two lonely bachelors. 

“How was your trip?” Billy asked as we started to bring my bags in.

“It was long, but I’m happy to be here now. Again. Billy, I want to thank you for everything that you’ve done, and I am so happy to be here, and I promise I will keep-”

“Bella, don’t worry about it. Jake and I are happy to have you here,” he interjected. I was glad he cut off my rambling. I would have kept going if he hadn’t. “Now, I hope you aren’t too tired, we have a little surprise for you.”

We set the rest of my stuff down, and they all lead me down to Billy’s shed. The past couple of years it’s really become Jacob’s as he’s recently taken up working on cars and bikes. Leah put her hands over my eyes when we got closer, and I heard Jacob shush Seth as he giggled. The creak of the shed doors startled me as I saw light creep through the gaps of Leah’s fingers. When she finally uncovered my eyes, Billy’s big red truck was sitting in all its glory. I remember the late-night star gazing we’d all do in the truck’s bed, or when my grandpa and Billy would take us to get ice cream and the Black kids and I would be squished in the backseat. 

“All I see is your truck, Billy,” I said with a hint of confusion.

He shook his head with a soft smile, “Not mine, your truck. Gave your grandpa a good deal on it cause I don’t need it anymore. Jake and I fixed up the engine so it’s running good as new. Besides, how did you think you were getting to your new job that’s 20 minutes away?”  
“I… hadn’t thought that far yet,” I slid my hands along the side of the old truck, feeling the slight dents in the frame. “I can’t believe it. I love it. Thank you, Billy.”

“Don’t thank me, call your grandpa and tell him thanks. We got more surprises coming for you.”

I couldn’t imagine what else they would have in store for me. Their kind gestures were already way too much. If anything I should be the one with surprises for them. As they walked me towards the beach, I heard music playing and people chattering in the distance. As we approached, the chattering hushed until we came within view. I saw tables full of food, lights strung up around picnic tables, and a banner that said ‘WELCOME.’ Right when I could finally start to make out faces, I heard the group call out.

“Welcome home, Bella!” 

Tears started to roll down my cheeks as people came up for hugs, it felt surreal because it wasn’t just a welcome back for a spring break or a summer, it was a welcome  _ home _ . 

“Hey there, stranger,” Paul’s voice came from behind me. I could tell he was different. He changed like I did. I turned to face him and I was surprised to see the figure hulking over me. He had bulked up a lot, more than I did when I changed. That didn’t seem too fair.

“Paul, wow,” I paused for a bit, thinking through what I wanted to say to him. “You didn’t tell me.”  
“Yeah,” he took a deep breath as he looked down at me, his soft brown eyes had a hint of sadness, “you didn’t tell me either.”

That was true, I didn’t tell him that I had changed. I actually hadn’t spoken to him since last summer because things were weird when I left. Paul and I had always been close, he was my first kiss when we were both 12. Last summer, we got a little too close and took things a couple of steps further than a kiss. I was almost half hoping that when I saw him again that I would lose focus on everything else, that the world would stop and I would just see him and nothing else. That didn’t happen though, it was just Paul in front of me, just Paul. 

We walked on the beach together and talked about what classes we’d be taking this next spring, avoiding the topics that got too personal to us. I almost grabbed his hand a few times but pulled away. It was quiet now, most had gone home for the night. The sea breeze felt nice on my tan skin, still feeling sun-soaked from this morning. The Phoenix sun would be missed, but the ocean view was worth the tradeoff. 

Paul walked me back to Billy’s after we realized how late it got. It really wasn’t awkward between us until now, I think we were both slightly burned at the thought of what happened to Leah and Sam. We could hold hands, pretend for a while, but how long would that be before he found his one person? 

He grabbed a lock of my black hair and twiddled it between his fingers, not making eye-contact with me. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he was having difficulty thinking of the words. I wondered when the whole “telepathic-link” thing would happen with me and the pack, it would help in a situation like this, it would make it less awkward. After a few more moments, he finally looked at me, his hand went to my cheek, and he leaned in.

That’s when the porch light came on, and the door swung open. Paul jumped back about five feet and nearly tripped over the porch banister.

“Ah, I wondered where you were at, Bella,” Billy said with a smile on his face. 

“Yeah, I got an early morning tomorrow,” I managed to say instead of laughing. Paul looked traumatized as he braced himself against the railing. 

“Good night, Billy. Night Bella,” he peeped out meekly as he gave a small wave. 

The next week was spent unpacking and getting my room together before starting my new job. School was still another two weeks out, which I was thankful for because I was not super excited to be the new kid again, as I have been so many times. Today is my first day working at the library. It pays a tad more than minimum wage, which is nice considering I get to be in a place that I enjoy. It was a cute little brick building with large glass windows to let in natural light. Walking in, I took a deep breath as the smell of paper filled the air. It reminded me of sitting in the library with my mom, reading all day while she worked.

There was a girl with dark hair and glasses sitting at the front desk. She was looking down at some papers and hadn’t noticed me come in. I walked up to her and saw ‘Angela’ printed on her name tag. 

“Hi,” I tried to say softly, not to startle her, she jumped up anyways. “Sorry, my name is Bella, I’m supposed to be starting here today, and I think I’m supposed to meet you for some training?”

“Hi, I’m Angela. It’s nice to meet you. Let me get you started.” 

Angela spent the next few hours showing me where everything was, how the computer system worked and getting me keys to the buildings since I’d be on most of the weekend and closing shifts. Meeting her was a breath of fresh air, it was nice being around someone who genuinely wanted to get to know you. She was really sweet, and I’m glad I’m getting to work with her. 

“I’m going out to dinner with some friends tonight, you should definitely come,” she said as we set the last few books on the shelves. “They’d really like you.”

I thought about it for a second, meeting new people in a casual setting and not a school for once could be nice. 

“Sure, that sounds super fun.”

“Awesome, we’re going to get Italian food. Do you like Italian?” 

“Of course I do,” I said with a smile, “I’m not a monster.”

Coming from Phoenix to Forks was a huge culture shock. I have lived in small towns before, but this had to be one of the smallest. The drive through the main part of town took only a few minutes. The Italian restaurant was tiny but packed with people. The low lighting made it have a slightly romantic aura, but it seemed like a fun enough spot to grab dinner with friends. Angela lead me to a circle booth with a girl and two guys that were chatting.

“Guys, this is my new friend, Bella, from work,” Angela announced. “This is Jessica, Mike, and Eric.”

“Heeeey Bellaaaa,” Eric said in a goofy voice as the rest of them laughed. Angela sat down next to Eric, and I sat on the opposite end next to Mike where there was an open spot. We talked and ordered our meals. Eric and Angela were editors of the school’s newspaper, Mike played football, and Jessica was the debate team captain. I couldn’t tell if this was a double date between the four of them, if it was it would be uncomfortable with the way Mike was looking at me. 

“So Bella,” he said, turning fully towards me, “Are you starting school here in Forks?”

“Oh no, I actually live in La Push, so I’m going to school over there.”

“Ohhh. Well if you’re free, our school’s spring dance is coming up in a few weeks and you should totally come.”

Jessica butted in and almost contorted around him so she could see the both of us. The circle booth made the situation more awkward than it needed to be.

“Yeah you should definitely come with us!” she said cheerfully, it felt disingenuous. “Right? Bella should come with us as a group to the spring dance.”

Eric and Angela nodded in agreement. “You should def come, Bella,” they said almost in unison. 

“Sure, why not? I love dancing,” I said as I shoved a forkful of pasta in my mouth to ease the tension. I had noticed since I changed my appetite was insane. I was about to ask Jessica if she was going to finish her plate since she had just been poking at it since the dance was brought up. 

“It’ll be so fun, I promise,” Angela said, glowing, “It’s going to be life-changing.”

I laughed at her statement. How could a high school spring dance be life-changing?

Little did I know that small exaggeration would be completely true. 


	2. A Spring Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I made contact with his amber-colored eyes, the music faded into the background, and I felt all the air escape from my lungs. My vision focused on his figure, leaning back against a wall. His skin was pale, he looked like he was almost chiseled out of stone. Even though I had never met him, I felt memories of him flood over me, as if we knew each other all of our lives. I’ve never felt a stronger desire to be near someone, not until this one moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second chapter! 
> 
> It's 2 am when I finished writing this chapter and I hope I got everything edited okay. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. :)

“That looks perfect on you,” Angela excitedly said as I came out of the small dressing room. The small boutique’s long mirror made me look taller and more slender than I knew I was. Probably just a way of them making more sales by boosting the self-confidence of teen girls like me.

“You really think so?” I asked as I turned to show off the dress. The emerald green velvet clung tightly to my skin, and the sleeves fell off my shoulder. The length was left to be desired though, only coming about mid-thigh. “I think it makes me look short.”

“You look hot,” Jessica assured, “besides, you’ll be wearing heels.”

I stood on my tip ropes in front of the mirror for a few seconds, seeing if I looked any taller, feeling the dress’s material between my fingers. I couldn’t believe I’d been in Washington for almost a month. Things had been going well, for the most part, I guess. I was hoping that I’d be able to connect more with my pack than two girls that I met on a whim.I could hear Sam, Jared, and Paul’s thoughts, but they couldn’t hear mine. It was strange how they couldn’t hear me, but honestly, a part of me was happy my thoughts could be kept to myself. 

Starting school was fine too, I liked many of my teachers and felt like I could pay attention for the first time in months. I think the break away from Phoenix was what I needed to reground myself. School was important to me, I wanted to make good grades so I could get into a nice college somewhere on the east coast. My mom and I lived in New Jersey for a bit, and I enjoyed our time there. She bought a townhouse in Glen Rock and left it to me when she passed. She told me that it would always be there for me when I needed somewhere to stay. So maybe after I graduate high school, I’ll go there and enjoy the pretentiousness of the east coast.

“This is the one,” I said as I did one last turn in the mirror. “Thanks for coming with me, guys.” I was appreciative that they both came with me, they already had their dresses picked out for months, and the dance was tomorrow night. 

“Don’t worry about it, Bells,” Jessica said as we made our way back to my truck, “You guys are coming over early tomorrow for hair and makeup, right?”

“Of course,” Angela replied as she typed away on her phone, “like three o’clock?”

“Three? That’s so early,” I laughed, “The dance isn’t until seven.”

“Yeah, but like, we need to do our hair and everything. And Angela’s hair takes FOREVER to curl.”

I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror as I drove, conscious of my hair. It was getting to be shoulder length, which is longer than it should be. It made me look shaggy in my wolf form, but how I longed to have all my hair back. I’d do anything to grow it out again, to have my black hair that fell nearly to my waist back. For now, I had to deal with cutting it short and often, despite my reluctance. 

I dropped off Angela and Jessica and headed back home. I was making dinner tonight for Billy, Jacob, and myself. Usually, when it was Jacob’s night to make food, we’d have boxed mac and cheese, and Billy’s nights are pizza nights, so I didn’t mind cooking at all. Jacob came in from the shed and Billy made his way from the kitchen. He was so full of life still, despite everything he’d been through. 

“So Bella, you excited for the dance tomorrow?” Billy asked as he forked up some potatoes and took a sip of his beer.

“Yeah, pretty excited. Just so you know I’m going to be staying at Jessica’s tomorrow night.”

“I wish I was invited to the Forks dance, I heard they’re way more fun,” Jacob half-smiled at me. We ate more and talked about our week. Jacob started picking up plates off the table.”Dinner was great, Bella.”

“I want you to be careful,” Billy said after Jacob was out of earshot, getting serious for a moment, “those attacks have been getting more frequent.”

He was referring to the vampire attacks occurring in the area, there had been three murders over the month that I’ve been here. The pack had been on edge, but unable to act because the murders have been taking place in Forks. Apparently the coven of vampires that live there are deemed innocent and are investigating, so we were told not to deal with it unless it got close to home.

“I will, Billy, I promise.”

We all played cards together for about an hour before Jacob left to hang out with Embry and Quil. Billy and I sat for a while and watched TV. It was nice just sitting with him, it was low stakes. No having to try to impress him and I didn’t have to exaggerate parts of my personality. I helped Billy get to bed after it got late and headed to my room. Before too long, I found myself at my desk, falling asleep as I was finishing up some of my college algebra homework. I awoke to my cellphone buzzing, and I checked the caller ID. Of course, the only person who would call me this late on a Friday night would be Paul. I let it ring for a while before I finally answered.

"Hey Paul," I said softly, careful to not be too loud to disturb Billy as he slept.

"What are you doing?" he asked casually.

"Just doing some homework. You should be doing it too."

"Probably," he replied sheepishly, " I wanted to see if you wanted to come over tomorrow night to watch a movie or something."

"You know I’m busy tomorrow night,' I sighed, frustrated, knowing he had been opposed to me going-since I mentioned it.

"Bella," he said through gritted teeth, you know bloodsuckers attend that school. And those attacks, I can't believe you still want to 

"I don't know why you're so concerned, I can take care of myself. Besides, I highly doubt bloodsuckers would be attending a high school dance."

"I just want you to be safe."

"As I said, I can take care of myself." I hung up the phone, and laid in bed, too angry to finish the rest of my homework.

I woke up early the next day to work for a few hours before heading over to see Jessica and Angela. Jessica’s house, or small mansion, was pristine. There didn’t seem to be a speck of dust on any surface. Her room was decorated in a monochromatic pink, everything looking immaculately placed from her framed awards to the pens sitting on her desk. For the past hour, she had been going through what seemed like every strand of Angela’s hair, carefully curling it to perfection. I sat at Jessica’s vanity and took care to put on my eyeliner. Usually, I never put this much time into doing my makeup, I’d just wear some mascara here and there, but since it was a special occasion, I made sure it would look Jessica approved. 

I probably would end up being the fifth wheel of some sort or other tonight, which was expected when I was with the four of them. Luckily, we’d be dancing for the most part, making things less awkward, unless a slow song on. Hopefully, Mike wouldn’t pay me any attention and focus on Jessica. She liked him a lot, I saw the way she looked at him, there was always a hint of sadness because he was never looking back at her.

“Are you girls ready?” Angela asked as she did a spin in front of the mirror, her slender figure was accentuated in a purple, laced dress. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of her figure. She was tall and slim, an opposition to my shorter, bulkier frame. It was sometimes embarrassing, being more muscular than boys my age, and sometimes, I wish I could shapeshift into someone who looked like Angela or Jessica, and not a monster.

“Ready,” I replied, taking a quick peek at myself before we headed out to my truck. On our way to the school, we picked up Eric and Mike. As they came outside, I saw a glimpse of Mike’s tie. It was green.

“Who told Mike what color I was wearing?” I asked as I turned down the stereo.

“Uhh…” Angela was hesitant, “I might have put it in the group chat.” 

“It’s going to look like he’s my date now,” I said, making sure to emphasize how upset I was when I noticed the expression on Jessica’s face. She looked mortified. 

“That’s so weird,” her tone was shaky, “he told me his tie was orange last week. I thought we were supposed to all wear different colors. I called dibs on pink.”

The back door opened and Eric called in, “Heeeeeey ladies, lookin’ good.”

“Mike, what the hell?” I yelled to the backseat, “We were supposed to wear different colors. You know, cause we’re going as a group?”

“I can explain,” he said, putting on the most pathetic act I’ve seen, “I accidentally spilled some ketchup on my orange tie, and this was the only one they had left at the store today.”

“Whatever,” I muttered under my breath.

The short drive to the school I tried my best to lighten up the awkwardness. I played some of Jessica’s favorite songs and after a few, she started to smile and sing along. Angela and Eric were chatting it up in the back while Mike sat quietly, looking at the window.

When we arrived at the school, I was shocked. They must have put a lot of money into dances because this cafeteria looked nothing like a high school feeding ground. String lights were hanging, making it look like a starry sky inside. There were beautiful white curtains framing every wall and window, blurring the look of the lights. I was worried the music choice would just be top 20’s, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear Fleetwood Mac playing. The cafeteria was full of people and the five of us danced our way to the center of the dance floor. 

I didn’t know anyone here except for my friends, which made me dance crazier than I would normally have. We jumped and sang at the top of our lungs to the songs we knew, and some songs we didn’t know. I felt myself working up a sweat from the heat of everyone around us and the constant movement.

“Okay, don’t freak out,” Jessica said softly to me as we grabbed punch glasses, “I think Edward Cullen is checking you out.”

“Who?” I asked before taking a huge gulp.

“Like the hottest, most undatable guy in our grade,” she pointed inconspicuously, and I looked in that direction.

I made contact with his amber-colored eyes, the music faded into the background, and I felt all the air escape from my lungs. My vision focused on his figure, leaning back against a wall. His skin was pale, he looked like he was almost chiseled out of stone. Even though I had never met him, I felt memories of him flood over me, as if we knew each other all of our lives. I’ve never felt a stronger desire to be near someone, not until this one moment.

“Bella? Bells? Hello?” Jessica waved her hand in front of my eyes, and I snapped out of the moment, but still in a daze, “Do you want me to introduce you?” 

“Huh?” I was still in a stupor, enchanted by his golden eyes. 

I felt her grab my hand, and forcefully tug me in his direction. As we got closer, a sickly sweet smell filled my nostrils. It emanated from him, and as I became more aware of my surroundings, I could smell it from multiple directions. All of the hair on my body stood up, and I went from a haze to fully alert and on guard. There was more of whatever  _ he _ was. And I knew what he was, though I’ve never encountered one.  _ Bloodsucker. _

I’d never thought a monster in its true form could look so beautiful before. It was the first time I had been in the presence of something more dangerous than myself, but I was so drawn into him to the point where it felt like intoxication. The closer we got to him, the more anxious I became, but I didn’t want Jessica to stop guiding me to him. When we finally made our way there, I felt my mind being consumed with only thoughts of him.

“Hey Edward,” Angela’s voice was a higher pitch than usual, “This is my new friend Bella. She moved from Phoenix to La Push a few weeks ago.”

“Bella,” his voice rang out, it was the most captivating sound I’d ever heard, even my favorite song wouldn’t compare. “It’s good to meet you,” he said and held out his hand, never breaking eye contact with me. I reached out and felt the iciness of his skin, I almost recoiled away, but I felt magnetized to him. I could still feel the cold outline of his hand as we pulled away from each other. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Jessica said, a massive smile on her face as she backed away back into the crowd of people.

Finally, I broke away from his gaze, remembering what he was, but not wanting to believe it. I closed my eyes and I shifted from his direct view, standing next to him against the wall, centimeters away. We were so close, I could feel the coldness radiating off of him, but untouching. We stood like that for a few moments, our eyes looking at our feet. I didn’t know what to say to, I was at a loss for words.

“You don’t have to be scared of me,” he whispered softly, no human ear could hear exactly what he was saying over the music, but I heard Edward clear as day. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” I replied, matching his volume, looking out to the crowd of humans he could potentially make a meal of. 

Edward laughed, “You’ve never met one of my kind before, have you?”

I shook my head, “I’m… sort of new to all of this.”

“Well,” he was still smiling, amused at the situation, “usually, you’d find that others like me have red eyes, but, if you see them more yellow, that means they’re vegetarian.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of a vegetarian vampire. The more he spoke, the longer I stood next to him, the less threatened I felt. There was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind though, I was taught that bloodsuckers were the most evil things on this earth. They’ve oppressed shapeshifters for centuries, trying to eradicate us multiple times throughout history. If anyone found out that I was  _ standing _ next to a demon, they’d lock me away forever. If anyone found out that I  _ imprinted _ on a vampire, I’m sure things would be worse. I hope I didn’t imprint, and maybe just a case of strong infatuation, but in my gut, I knew. 

“We… probably shouldn’t be talking,” I said, I felt my heart breaking in my chest as I was dealing with the reality of the situation.

“Why’s that?” he asked, looking at me again. 

“I don’t know, I guess the whole ‘mortal enemies’ thing, right?” I started swaying my head to the next song that began to play. For the moment, I was glad to be standing here, as the first slow song of the night played, and I could avoid the awkwardness of being the fifth wheel. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked me, interrupting my train of thought.

I let the moment play out for a few seconds longer, “I’m thinking that I really like this song.” 

“We don’t have to be enemies; we can make peace.”  
“How do you suppose we do that?” I asked, confused on if he was serious or joking.

Edward held out his hand, and instinctually, I met his reach. I looked up at him as he pulled me to the dancefloor and placed his free hand on my waist. We rocked gently to the song, our movements matching perfectly. It felt as if everyone around us had disappeared, and it was only the two of us and the music.

“You know, I remember when this song first came out.”

“It wasn’t that long ago,” I laughed, “Cat Powers released this version of Sea of Love in 1999.”

Edward chucked deeply, “I remember when this song _ first _ came out, Phillip Phillips in 1959. They used to play it everywhere. I saw him play it live once.”

Reality hit me again, as I had forgotten the danger of the situation, his human form distracting me from what he truly is. Could this be my one? The person who is supposed to enhance my survival? I thought my mom had told me that often times imprinting was a genetic thing for the survival of the species. How could a vampire enhance the survival of shapeshifters? If anything, this was detrimental. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked me again, I realized the song was different now, and I had been in my own head for a while. 

“Why are you so curious?” I forced a smile, meeting his gaze once more.

“Because,” he paused for a moment, “I can hear the thoughts of everyone else in this room but yours.”

My curiosity was piqued, “Is that so? Prove it.”

“Okay,” he grinned, ready for the challenge, “That kid over there in the beanie? He’s been debating on wanting to spike the punch with a bottle of cheap vodka he stole from his parents’ liquor cabinet for the last 20 minutes.”

I scoffed, “I could tell that just by looking at him.”

“See that older guy in the suit that’s too big on him? That’s Mr. Tate. He is currently in between thinking of ways to tell his wife he wants a divorce and what fast food to grab on the way home.”

“I mean, that guy is just screaming midlife crisis,” I replied, jokingly unimpressed.

Edward gave me a half-smile, sensing I was teasing him, “Last one. Your date over there is really upset you’re dancing with me and not him.”

My eyes rolled, “That’s not my date.”

“He seems to think otherwise,” he whispered. “You know, all night, most people have had their eyes on you.”

“Because I’m a stranger,” I suddenly felt self-conscious, realizing how many people were actually in the room. 

“Because you’re beautiful.”

The lights in the room came on as the music stopped, the end of the night had come much sooner than I anticipated. When it was dark, and the music was loud, and we could talk softly, we were in our own world where no one knew our secrets. Now, with the lights on and the music off, I could hear the murmur of everyone around us, we were exposed. 

“I… I have to go. My friends are probably waiting, and I drove,” I pulled away, though everything in my body was telling me not to.

“Can I get your number at least?” he asked, but I shook my head and turned away towards the exit. I didn’t look back, not even once, because I knew I would just turn around and stay with him. 

I didn’t get any sleep that night, and it wasn’t because I was in a sleeping bag on the floor of Jessica’s room, but because I couldn’t stop thinking of him. I had to stay away, though. I’m sure The Council would have my head if they found a shapeshifter had imprinted on a vampire. What would Billy think? What would my grandparents say? Why couldn’t he read my thoughts? Why couldn’t my pack do that either? Why couldn’t I just be normal?

Why did I have to go to that stupid spring dance?

  
  



	3. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought that time passing would make me forget about him. Almost a week had gone by since the night of the dance, and I couldn’t stop thinking about his amber eyes looking deep into mine. The quietness of the library and the mindless task of placing books on the shelves didn’t help subdue my thoughts. If anything, performing these menial tasks amplified the loneliness I felt. When I had gotten here, I was surrounded by people who understood what I was going through, and the feeling of isolation I felt in Phoenix had subsided. Ever since meeting Edward Cullen, though, I’ve come to feel lonely again, longing to be by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for stopping by, I hope I can get the next chapter out soon. <3

I thought that time passing would make me forget about him. Almost a week had gone by since the night of the dance, and I couldn’t stop thinking about his amber eyes looking deep into mine. The quietness of the library and the mindless task of placing books on the shelves didn’t help subdue my thoughts. If anything, performing these menial tasks amplified the loneliness I felt. When I had gotten here, I was surrounded by people who understood what I was going through, and the feeling of isolation I felt in Phoenix had subsided. Ever since meeting Edward Cullen, though, I’ve come to feel lonely again, longing to be by his side.

Even sitting in classes, I could not focus as my mind kept wandering off into places it shouldn’t be. People started to notice that I wasn’t quite present either. Billy and Jacob asked if I was okay and was wrong when they saw me start to stare off into space at dinner time. I would just shake my head and lie, telling them that I was perfectly fine, and for them not to worry. 

I could tell the pack, especially Paul, was getting increasingly frustrated in me not being able to meld thoughts with them. Our communication was off, and we needed to be in sync if we were going to prepare for a potential vampire attack in our territory. I followed Sam’s directions and thoughts as I tried to give nonverbal cues but with him not being able to hear me, it was useless. I was thankful though that they couldn’t hear my thoughts, I didn’t know how much longer I could keep up with this lie.

Angela and Jessica keep pestering me about the night of the dance. Apparently Edward had approached them at school and asked them for my phone number, but I made them promise me they wouldn’t give it to him. 

“It’s obvious you two are clearly into each other,” Angela said to me as she stacked the return books so I could set them on the cart. She was in a romantic mood because she and Eric had just made it official and couldn’t stop talking about how great it was to have a boyfriend. There were just the two of us here, so she took advantage of our time alone to interrogate me. 

“I told you, I’m not that into him,” I lied as I grabbed a few of the books to place on a nearby shelf.

“Bella, we all saw the way you looked at him. Don’t lie to me. Besides, if you’re still caught up on Paul, I think you need to move on,” she replied. Paul hadn’t made a good impression on my friends from Forks, his short temper had gotten him and Mike into a bit of an argument. “He seems too controlling and honestly, a little hot-headed.”

“Paul means well. That’s just how he is, I know how to deal with him,” I was a bit annoyed at her astute observation. What she said was true, but I felt the need to defend him anyway. “I’ve told you before, my family are not big fans of the Cullens too.”

“This is the most cliche Romeo and Juliette shit I’ve ever heard,” Angela laughed, “it’s 2005, Bella, you’re nearly an adult, you don’t have to do everything your family says.”

I pulled the full cart out from behind the counter and placed the books where they belonged. Angela would never fully understand what was going on, so I didn’t bother with replying to her, keeping quiet as I continued to work. She would be leaving soon, as I was doing the closing shift by myself, so if I could avoid her questions for another 20 minutes I’d be in the clear.

Angela came to the shelf I was at to give me two more books that had just come in, “I’m headed out. Are you coming over for board games tonight?” 

“I’m not sure yet, I’ll call you when I’m done here?” I said to her, she nodded and headed out for the evening. It was Friday night, and Emily was making dinner for the pack. It was supposed to be bonding time for all of us, but it was always so awkward for me. I’ll be the first to admit that I do need to spend more time with them, but there was still always something making me feel like I didn’t belong.

No one had come into the library since Angela had left, so I sat up at the front counter and read a random book I had grabbed off the shelf and checked out for myself. Sometimes when I was bored, I’d close my eyes and run my finger down the spines of books and would read whatever I landed on. It was a fun way to find something new to read, whether or not I liked it. Reading was also an excellent way to keep my mind occupied when I was alone, so I got deep into the book in my hand.

“Excuse me, miss,” a familiar voice rang out, making my heart skip a beat in the process, “I was wondering if you had any book recommendations.”

“What kind of books do you like?” I asked, still looking at my book, trying to keep my cool. Since I started, he had never been to the library, so I was surprised at his presence here. 

“I quite enjoy historical fiction and mystery,” his smooth voice said in a low tone, “but chances are if it’s good, I’ve already read it.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re looking for a recommendation then.”

“You caught me,” he said, I could hear the smirk on his face. “I came looking for you actually.”

Finally, I got the nerve to look up, his honey-colored eyes were fixed on me. Edward’s soft smile met me like open arms, I never thought someone who was so physically cold could give off such a warmth. 

“You know as well as I do that this isn’t a good idea, Edward,” I closed the book and tried to stay focused on being rational. “We can’t do this.”

He paused for a moment, “You like music a lot right? Do you like concerts” 

There was a slight panic in his voice as he tried to formulate the question, it was different from the confident demeanor that he had the night of the dance. It was almost adorable how flustered he had suddenly gotten. 

“I do enjoy going to concerts,” I replied to him, “I didn’t realize Forks had concerts very often.”

“Not in Forks,” Edward laughed, “in Seattle. There’s a band playing that I like, and my sister, Alice, can’t go with me, so I’m left with this extra ticket. I thought maybe you’d like to come with me.”

“Tonight?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. 

“Tonight,” he affirmed, “I’ll drive, and have you back before the morning.”

It struck me, I could say yes and leave with him. If Billy found out though, he’d tell my grandfather, and they’d probably ship me back to Arizona if they knew why I willingly went out of town with a vampire. I’d be alone again. Could I risk that? Everything in my head was telling me no.

“Sure,” I replied, looking at the clock. It was five minutes until I had to lock the doors, almost perfect timing by Edward, probably not a coincidence. “Give me a few minutes? I need to lock up.”

“Of course, I’ll be outside,” he smiled and walked out the front doors. I had to compose myself after he exited, what have I gotten myself into? I nervously paced back and forth for the next few minutes, thinking of what I could say to get me out of this situation. There was a small part of me that was aching to go, and as I looked out of the glass door, seeing Edward waiting for me by his car, I let it take over me.

As I walked towards him he opened the passenger side door for me. The interior of his car was immaculate, the black leather seats were glossy as if they were just buffed. He sat down in the driver seat and waited a moment before starting the car. It would be about a three-hour car ride, and I was nervous it would be awkward.

“Do you mind if I make some phone calls?” I asked him as I started to dial Paul. Edward nodded and turned the radio down. The phone rang a few times before Paul picked up. I made some excuse about how I promised Angela I’d help her with some math homework and I wouldn’t be at the dinner. The disappointment was heavy in his voice, but he told me he would relay the information to everyone.

I called Billy and told him I’d be at Angela’s for the night, I felt terrible for lying to him, but I didn’t have a choice at this point, we had already passed the “Now Leaving Forks” sign. The last call I had to make was to Angela, which would be the most challenging call to make because I know she’d say something embarrassing. 

Before she even said hello I interrupted her, “Do not freak out, I’ll tell you more later, but I’m out with Edward right now, but if anyone checks in, I’m with you tonight, okay?”

There was a slight pause before I heard her say, “Okay, holy crap Bella I-...”

I hung up the phone before she could get any further. My cheeks went red as I’m sure he could feel my embarrassment. It was quiet for a moment before he turned the radio back up again, easing my tension a bit.

“I feel like I’m getting you into trouble,” Edward chuckled. 

“You are,” I said laughing, I felt at ease as we got further away from Forks.

“Won’t they know you’re lying when you get back? I thought werewolves had some sort of telepathic bond.”

“Yeah you’re right about the telepathy thing,” I looked out the window, seeing the tree line pass by, “but I haven’t made a connection with them yet. Don’t know why that is, I can hear them, but they can’t hear me.”

Edward was driving fast, faster than other cars on the road. “That’s interesting that they can’t hear you. I can’t either. It’s almost as if you have a shield on your thoughts.” 

We spoke more about shapeshifters and vampires. He clarified many of the questions I had and of course, many of the stories I was told as a child were exaggerated. Not to say that they weren’t true and that vampires were not dangerous, but some, like Edward, were not a threat to those around them.

The concert venue he had taken me to was small but filled with people, we stood shoulder to shoulder strangers as the lights dimmed. I was curiously trying to guess what kind of music was going to be playing, using the outfits of those in attendance as a hint. I assumed it would be some sort of rock/alternative music by the array of flannel shirts and impressive facial hair. 

Edward stood close and he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I hope you like the music tonight.”

When the band eventually came out the crowd started to move, and I looked over and saw Edward also swaying to the beat. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed the music, I couldn’t help but to join in. Every so often our shoulders would touch, or I’d catch him looking at me. He would whisper to me after a song or two and ask if I was still having a good time, or what I thought of the band and if I was enjoying the music. Having to reassure him was humorous to me, as I realized he lived in comfort always knowing where he stood with people, everyone but me.

Suddenly, I felt someone creep up close behind me, I tried to write it off as just the usual crowd of a concert, but then I felt hands creep onto my waist. I tried to shift away subtly, not to draw attention, but as soon as I made a move away Edward was already glaring at the man touching me. Edward grabbed the man’s shirt and nearly lifted him off the ground.

“Let go of her,” he growled, his eyes flashed black for a moment as he stared down the man. The man let go, and Edward shoved him backward into the people behind us. 

“Woah dude, sorry I didn’t know she was with you,” he nervously stuttered. He held his hands up and quickly backed into the crowd of people.

Edward, his eyes fixed in that direction, moved to follow him in a blind rage before I grabbed his arm, stopping him. He was strong, and if I were just a normal girl, he would have already broken away had the man cornered, but I stood my ground. Our eyes met as he turned to look at me, his eyes became unclouded and he relaxed slightly. 

“I’m sorry, Bella,” he said softly as he regained footing, he stood behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” I assured him, “don’t let that sleaze bag ruin our night.”

We both took deep breaths and calmed, falling back into the music. It was late when we left the venue, almost one o’clock in the morning before we made it back to the car. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I sat down. 

“Did you have a good time?” he asked as he drove through the city.

“I did,” I smiled, “Until you almost killed someone.”

“If you hadn’t had stopped me I almost would have. His thoughts about you were disgusting.”

“I’m glad we could enjoy the rest of the night though, I’m surprised you even like going to these sorts of things, with that many people around. It must be noisy.”

“Actually, its the only time I like being around that many people. The music drowns out a lot of people’s thoughts, and distracts me from listening.”

The next thing I remember is hearing Edward say my name. I opened my eyes to see we were parked in front of the library next to my truck. I looked at the time, it was around four in the morning. I must have fallen asleep immediately outside of Seattle. I got out of the car and stretched.

“Thanks for the fun night, I had a great time,” I said to him through the open window.

“I had a good time too,” he rummaged around in his center console and pulled out a small notepad and pen, “you don’t have to but if you want, call me sometime.” He scribbled down his number and handed it to me.

I smiled at him and got into my car, feeling rested but still wanting more sleep. He drove away and I sat with the little piece of paper in my hand, almost wanting to call him immediately. I felt pathetic for thinking that way. I drove to Angela’s and climbed the trellis leading up to her window, as we did most nights we snuck out of her house to go to Mike or Eric’s. Quietly, I slid open the window and crawled in, she was fast asleep. I lifted up her blanket and slid into the bed next to her, she moved over and wrapped her arm around me.

“What time is it?” she asked, half asleep.

“A little past 4am,” I replied, closing my eyes, “go back to sleep.”

“Gosh, you’re like a furnace, Bella,” Angela rolled over, “what were you two doing all night?”

“I’ll tell you in the morning,” I fell fast asleep, the happiest I had been in months.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Our Small World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We drove quietly for a while until we turned down a path off the main road that spiraled deep into the woods. The end of the rocky path came to a clearing of beautiful green grass surrounded by tall trees. My jaw dropped at the sight of the wooden cabin, surrounded by blooming flowers. The large windows reflected the trees perfectly as if they were mirrors. It was a mansion in the middle of the forest, isolated from the rest of the world. The light spring breeze blew through the foliage that surrounded the cabin, and although it was cloudy, peaks of sunlight came down from the sky. It was idyllic, almost too perfect. It took my breath away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has been kicking my butt, so this one took a bit to get out. Thanks for reading :) enjoy!

We talked on the phone nearly every night. I’d call Edward after dinner, and we talked for hours, and I always ended up falling asleep during our conversations. He’d tell me stories from his past, the different jobs he’s had, the places he’s visited. Listening to him speak was like opening a new book, an entirely new story told just for me. It was strange to think he was over 100 years old, I tried not to think about it too much, I knew of shapeshifters who had imprinted on each other who have lived into their 200’s, continuing to shift together. I didn’t want to think about the possibility of me shifting for hundreds of years, I could barely stand it now. 

The boys made it seem easy, and I guess it was easy for them. They didn’t have to worry much about covering up. They could just be shirtless all day without a worry at all. I’d always have to be on guard, especially with the attacks that have been happening recently.

I had seen the vampire one time when she came into our territory. Her hair was the color of fire, contrasting her pale skin. She was fast and elusive. We would only be able to find her as she was leaving. It was as if she wanted us to catch a glimpse of her as she disappeared into the night. Edward told me her name was Victoria and that she was roaming around Forks because her mate targeted Alice. Since the Cullens got rid of James, she had relentlessly been stalking them.

As Edward and I spoke more, I felt myself stray further away from the people around me. I barely talked to Paul outside of nights where we would patrol around the woods together. Billy would ask why I wasn’t spending more time with the pack, and I would tell him that I just felt like I didn’t belong sometimes because I wasn’t “one of the guys.” This was true, but the real reason was that I was terrified of them finding out my secret. I figured the less time I spent with them, the longer it would take for us to bond so they couldn’t hear my thoughts, buying me some time to think of my next steps.

Not only did I keep this secret from the pack and my family, but I also kept it from Edward. How would I even go about explaining it to him? And even if he did feel the same way about me, it wouldn’t work out. The Shapeshifter Council would never allow this; there was too much bloodshed for any of this to be peaceful. I’d just have to hope that this was all some mistake and that if I held back long enough, everything would go back to normal, and I would be normal.

It was hard to hold back from Edward. He would come by the library on nights I closed, bringing me back small gifts from time to time like a new pen he thought I’d like or a CD he was listening to. We’d make small talk, and laugh until someone came in to return a book or use one of the computers, then we’d hush each other while we giggled. 

“We should getaway this weekend,” he spoke quietly, pretending to read a book while I put away the last of the returns for the day. 

“Where would we go?” I looked over at him curiously and saw his lips curling into a smile as he turned a page.

“Well, my family owns a cabin a few miles outside of Forks, nice and secluded. There’s a lot of nice hiking trails around the area.”

“You sure your family won’t mind me stinking up the place?” 

He laughed and closed the book, “I regret telling you that.”

“You regret telling me that I smell?”

“Listen, Bella,” he said, thinking of his next words carefully, “I don’t think you smell that bad, but my family definitely has commented on it. But we only go to the cabin during the summertime to get away from people.”

I paused for a moment, slightly embarrassed still about how his family may perceive me even though we haven’t met. From behind a bookshelf, I brought a lock of my hair to my nose and inhaled, smelling nothing but shampoo. 

“What have you told them about me?” I asked, peaking my head around the shelf to look at him.

He paused and ran his fingers through his hair, the golden strands effortlessly parted. “I haven’t told them much, just that I was hanging out with a new friend.”

“A werewolf friend?”

“Just a friend,” he replied, looking down at the page in front of him, avoiding my gaze. It was understandable that he was as scared as I was to reveal these truths to the people around us, especially ones we cared about. If anyone found out about me imprinting on him and told the Council or the Volturi, I’m sure our outcome would be grim.

“Well, I’d have to come up with a killer excuse, but I’m sure I could sneak away for the weekend,” I said in a lighter tone, trying to release some of the tension that came with my questioning.

His face lit up with excitement, and his amber eyes were beaming. My cheeks turned red, seeing him this animated, my cheeks turned red. I couldn’t help but think it was cute. It was weird to say that a bloodsucking demon was cute, but he was.

Packing for this trip proved to be difficult for me. Edward’s family had a lot of money, and he was always dressed so nicely. Although I had never met his sisters, Angela and Jessica always told me they wore designer clothes, and they had never seen them wear the same thing twice. I felt self-conscious about the clothes I was placing into my backpack. Usually, I’d go thrift shopping for cheap items because I’d go through clothes so quickly. I had blown through a lot of my favorite shirts from involuntarily shifting, so I had given up on buying nice things as it proved to be too expensive to be worth it. 

Although packing was hard, lying to Billy about where I’d be this weekend was easy, but it didn’t come without guilt. Lying to Billy was about one of my least favorite things. I had so much respect for him, and he treated me like one of his own daughters, and I had to lie constantly. As if sneaking away with a boy for a weekend in a secluded cabin alone was bad enough, the boy I’d be sneaking away with is a sworn enemy of my people. It felt wrong, and I kept telling myself to pick up the phone and tell Edward that I couldn’t go, but I got in my truck with my bags packed.

I barely shut my door before Paul came up, he leaned against my door, and I reluctantly rolled down the window.

“Where you headed off to?” he asked as he crossed his arms.

“Angela’s for the weekend,” I said, matching his harsh tone, “I had this weekend off patrolling, remember?”

Paul scoffed and shook his head, “what’s been up with you lately? You haven’t been around, and you’ve been stuck up in your room. You haven’t been coming to dinners at Emily’s. You haven’t even been able to link with the pack yet. Why aren’t you working on that?”

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel, “it’s none of your business what I do with my time, Paul.”

“You came here to join our pack, Bella. You…” he shook his head again, “you’ve changed. You’re guarded now for some reason. What’s wrong?”

“Maybe it’s the fact that I have to turn into a huge wolf is what’s wrong,” I snapped at him, nearly growling. 

He backed away from my truck slowly, “You can’t run away from your problems forever, Bella.”

“I can try,” I yelled out the window as I drove away and turned up my stereo as loud as it could go. After driving for a few minutes, I tried to calm my nerves before seeing Edward. I didn’t want to be upset and ruin the weekend planned. I couldn’t shake what Paul said, I wanted to hideaway. He was the last person I wanted to find out about any of this. The music was starting to finally drown out my thoughts when I pulled up to the library. Edward was already there, waiting for me. Before I opened the door to get into his car, I took a deep breath to ease my mood. I hated how easily frustrated and flustered I got since I started to shift. 

“What’s wrong?” Edward asked as I sat down in the passenger seat. 

“Nothing,” I replied, forcing a smile. “How was your day? Anything interesting happen on your millionth day of school?”

“It was good,” he said with a half-smile, but he looked over to me and seemed concerned. We drove quietly for a while until we turned down a path off the main road that spiraled deep into the woods. The end of the rocky path came to a clearing of beautiful green grass surrounded by tall trees. My jaw dropped at the sight of the wooden cabin, surrounded by blooming flowers. The large windows reflected the trees perfectly as if they were mirrors. It was a mansion in the middle of the forest, isolated from the rest of the world. The light spring breeze blew through the foliage that surrounded the cabin, and although it was cloudy, peaks of sunlight came down from the sky. It was idyllic, almost too perfect. It took my breath away.

“What do you think?” he asked, I almost forgot he was there for a moment, in awe of the beauty surrounding us. 

“It’s gorgeous here,” I replied as he led me inside. The interior was immaculately decorated; it looked like a brochure photo for a hotel advertisement. A crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and the small amount of sunlight that made it through the clouds cast beautiful rainbows from it. 

“There’s a TV with cable over there, and the kitchen is over here,” he pointed, “I stocked it with some food yesterday for you.”

“I can’t believe I forgot about food,” I said, laughing at my cluelessness. “I forget that’s something I have to plan for when I am with you.”

“Don’t worry, I got it covered,” he smiled and showed me around the rest of the cabin. It had all of the amenities, of course, including pool tables and a hot tub. The tour led us to a room with a small bed and bookshelves packed to the brim, and a keyboard sat by the window. “This is my room, but it's yours for the weekend.”

We spent the rest of the night watching movies until I started to fall asleep on the couch. I rested my head on his shoulder, and I felt him tuck a strand of my hair away from my face. Edward sat entirely still, I don’t even think he was breathing. I wondered how long he would be able to sit like this, and if he minded at all how warm I was. I must have felt like a heat lamp against his cold skin. 

I woke up the next morning in bed, not remembering how I got here, I must have been too tired to remember getting up and walking here. The smell of bacon was coming out of the kitchen, and I went downstairs to find Edward cooking breakfast. 

“Good morning,” he said as he flipped a pancake onto a huge stack. There was a bowl of fruit that would be enough to feed a small family and a pile of bacon sitting on the kitchen island.

“Good morning,” I replied as I picked at the bowl of fruit, throwing a piece of pineapple in my mouth. “Are we expecting company? There’s so much food.”

Edward paused and looked at the table for a moment before he chuckled softly. “I think I got a little carried away.”

I sat down and started eating, shoveling food into my mouth. Mornings were always when I was starving, and I felt like my hunger was uncontrollable. Edward sat across from me and played with a piece of toast. 

“Do you ever miss eating?” I asked between mouthfuls of food.

His brow furled slightly as he looked down at the table, “Honestly, sometimes. But the craving for blood outweighs it. It’s the only thing I can really think of wanting to consume, so I don’t really think about eating food.” Edward looked back at me, “did you get enough rest?”

“Yes,” I said, taking a sip of juice, “sorry I fell asleep last night. I was so tired I don’t even remember heading to bed.” 

“I carried you up last night after the movie ended. I’m glad you got some rest. Ready for some hiking?”

Edward wasn’t lying when he said the hiking spots were nice, the trails were not well-traveled on, making them more immersed in the setting. We hiked through trees and up a cliffside that overlooked a river. It was difficult keeping pace with him. He was fast, and I don’t think he realized that I was stronger and quicker than ordinary people in my human form, but I didn’t have the full power of my shifting form.

The clouds made a rare break as we made it to the peak, exposing the sunlight for the first time in forever it felt like. I faced the sun, hoping to recreate the feeling of how the sun felt in Phoenix. It was nowhere close to as warm and radiant, but it still felt good on my skin. I looked over at Edward and saw his skin shimmer in the sunlight. 

“Edward,” I whispered and took a step towards him, my hand meeting his sun-touched cheek. He closed his eyes and held my hand in his.

“It’s the skin of a killer, Bella,” his voice filled with disgust. “It’s a reminder of the monster that I am.”

“Hey,” I reassured him, “it looks a lot better than when I turn into one.”

Edwards' eyes opened, and he looked deeply into mine, “you could never be a monster.”

The walk back was silent between us, the sun started to set as we got close to the cabin, and the night began to get colder. His hand still held onto mine, the temperature between our palms had equilibrated, with his hand no longer being too cold and mine not too warm. He let go of when we made it to the front door, and he went and started the fireplace. 

A record player was sitting in the corner of the living room. I shuffled through the shelf of records, not recognizing any of the artists, I selected one at random to play. The jazzy music started softly, slowly filling the room. I felt Edward come behind me, his hand slid over mine, and he twirled me around to dance. We danced around the living room for a while, his hands on my waist, and my arms wrapped around his neck. 

“Bella, can I ask you something?” 

I hesitated before answering, wondering what he was going to say, “Sure.”

“The night of the dance…” he looked away, but we still were rocking back and forth to the music. “The night of the dance… did… did you imprint on me?”

The room started to spin, and I turned away from him. Tears began to well up in my eyes, and I wiped them away quickly before they could fall. 

“Bella, I’m sorry, you don't have to answer me. I just didn’t know what else to say or do. My entire existence I’ve avoided getting close to anyone, and you’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to let in. When I saw you for the first time, I felt alive for once, as if my heartbeat for a split second when I laid my eyes on you,” he embraced me from behind, pulling me close. “I can’t seem to think of anything else other than a supernatural explanation pulling us together, given our circumstances.”

All I wanted was to be normal. Even if I was a shapeshifter, I wanted to be a normal one at least. When you’re a shifter, you’re able to be open and honest with your pack, finding comfort and acceptance. I wouldn’t be able to do that, I don’t think I’d ever be able to, cursed to be the lone wolf. No one had ever mentioned imprinting on a vampire from all the stores I was told as a kid. I didn’t know if it was possible, or if anyone else had ever done it. We were just told of how evil and soulless they were, that their touch would chill you to your bones. When Edward’s arms were around me, though, I never felt more at home.

I turned back to face him, and he looked at me with an understanding I hadn’t felt in a long time. Edward’s thumb wiped away a stray tear from my cheek, I don’t think I needed to answer his question, he knew exactly what happened. He felt it just as I did the night we met, the strong force that pulled us together wouldn’t be able to keep us apart.

“We’re going to be okay, we will figure this out,” he said softly. Looking up at him, I felt at peace, maybe everything would be okay for just the moment when we were here, away from the world. As if it were in slow motion, his cold lips met mine. Like the first time I saw him, everything else slipped away from me, I was breathless.

Maybe we wouldn’t figure it out, and maybe no one would accept us for what we were, but I didn’t care about that now. All I wanted was to be with him, and if that meant we’d have to run away, I would. Edward pulled away, his forehead was pressed against mine, and I felt him breathe for the first time. The cold air escaped his lips and brushed against my cheeks. I could have stayed forever in this moment. 

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, car headlights filled the window spaces and I heard the sound of car doors opening and shutting with force. 

“Bella! Are you in there?” I heard Paul’s voice call out from outside. I heard Sam’s thoughts a second after. The pack was here.

“Edward, you have to go,” I frantically tried to grab him as he made his way to the door, “I don’t know how they found out but they’re here.” 

Edward looked out the window, and another set of headlights joined the chaos, it felt as if the walls of the cabin were falling down around us. Our small world that we had created in each other’s arms was crumbling down. 

“Well, now my family is here. Alice saw this coming.”

I looked at him, he seemed calm as my hands started to shake. I wanted to grab him and run out the back, into the woods and away from everyone. 

“What do we do?” I asked him, hoping he’d have a plan of escape. Without another word, Edward opened the front door.


	5. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I took one last look at Edward; I thought about what may have been if we just ran off into the night together. The little house in New Jersey could be ours, far away from here. We would be alone, and the people who we cared about wouldn’t have to know of our secret.

Edward walked out the door, and I stood there frozen. I could hear the commotion from coming outside, deciphering the pack’s thoughts, I knew Billy was in the car with Jared, and Sam and Paul were outside.

“Where is she, bloodsucker?” I heard Paul snarl. He was about to shift, he could never control it. I ran out to find him and Edward face to face. Sam was trying to calm him, realizing that the rest of the Cullens had arrived, knowing that they’d be outnumbered if something went awry. I ran to Edward’s side and wedged myself between them, placing my hands against Paul’s bare chest to create some distance and settle him down. There was nothing but rage in his eyes, and he and Edward were locked in a glare at one another. 

“Paul, calm down,” I managed to say to him, “I can explain, let’s just walk away, and I can explain.”

Edward’s family started to file out of the two cars they had arrived in, each one looking as beautiful and graceful as the next. I could recognize them as Edward had described them to me. Esme and Carlisle, Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmet. Carlisle, the head of their coven, came forward towards us, followed closely by Jasper. As they approached, I felt the heat and tension radiating from Paul ease and almost vanish. Edward had told me about Jasper's ability to alter emotions; I didn’t think anything could ever calm Paul down. My nostrils filled with their sickly sweet scent, making my stomach turn.

“Gentleman,” Carlisle’s voice rang out, my eyes darted to him, and I saw his honey-colored eyes shine in the darkness, “what seems to be the problem here?”

Billy, still being in the car, observing the situation, replied, “It seems as though your boy here has taken up with my ward, Bella.”

Carlisle’s eyes met mine for a brief second before he looked at Edward, and it seems they made some sort of exchange between them that would be unheard.

“Bella,” Billy said before anyone could get a word in, “I think it’s time we leave this place.”

I took one last look at Edward; I thought about what may have been if we just ran off into the night together. The little house in New Jersey could be ours, far away from here. We would be alone, and the people who we cared about wouldn’t have to know of our secret. They would be safe from whatever wrath were to come from the Council and the Volturi. We couldn’t risk their lives for our selfish needs. He had his family to worry about, I knew he loved them dearly by the way he spoke of them. 

If Edward and I never saw each other again, and we kept this secret to ourselves, we’d be safe. We’d live the rest of our lives normally, or as normal as possible, without each other. Would that be something I’d be able to live with? Without him. 

At that moment, I had no choice. Despite everything in my body telling me to take him and run, I couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed to him as I walked towards Jared’s car. Edward almost reached out for me, looking at me with pleading eyes, but I turned away. Sam and Paul were close behind me, creating a physical barrier between us. I sat in the backseat between them, the tension was heavy, all that could be heard was the hum of the engine. As we backed up and pulled away from the cabin, I saw Edward surrounded by his family. 

“Bella,” Billy uttered as we reached the main road heading back towards Forks, “do you want to explain what’s going on?”

I sank into the seat, squished in between Sam and Paul. Paul looked out the window, calmer than I thought he’d be, but he was hurt. He had pieced it together in his head that there was a romantic element to why I was with Edward, he just couldn’t figure out why.

“I was just spending time with a friend. Can we talk about this in private?” I murmured, my cheeks turning red. 

Sam looked at me, “Bella, you’re going to have to learn how to trust us. Did the bloodsucker lure you in? Why were you with him?”

Tears started to well up in my eyes, I blinked hard to stop them from becoming uncontrollable. Sam was right; I needed to be open with them if I were to fit it, that is, if my grandfather doesn’t have me on the first plane back to Phoenix in the morning. That would take me further away from Edward. Maybe the pain of being away from him would lessen if I did go away. 

“I…” I couldn’t articulate the sentence. I didn’t want to utter it out loud. I had yet to do so, not even to myself, not even to the one I had fallen so deeply for. 

“Bella, what did he do to you?” Paul asked through gritted teeth. 

“He didn’t do anything. I imprinted,” the words were forced out of my mouth, my throat was dry. “I imprinted on Edward Cullen.”

“The bloodsucker?” Sam shot out in a disgusted tone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Paul’s jaw clenched. I tried to see Billy’s expression, but he was faced forward. 

“That’s impossible. This is impossible, right, Billy?” Paul seemed frantic, trying to make sense of the situation. Billy was silent still, unmoving from his position. 

We got closer and closer to home, I saw streetlights pass, and the trees started to open up to the sealine. When we arrived, the five of us sat down in the living room. No one had uttered a word since we were in the car. Paul was angry, Sam was confused, and Jared was concerned about how I was feeling. Jared had recently imprinted, so he had some sympathy for me at this time. He understood how I must have felt, being pulled away from the person you care so deeply for, not knowing if you’ll see them again. I would think Sam would have been more understanding, but his hatred for vampires overruled that. 

“Bella,” Billy said softly, breaking the tension in the room, “Are you sure that you’ve imprinted?”

“There’s nothing else I can use to describe the way I feel about him,” I looked down at my hands, not wanting to make eye contact, “has this ever happened before?”

“I’ve only heard of this happening in the past.”

“How did it end up for them?” I asked, nervous about the answer.

Billy sighed, “Not well. It’s been said that when the Volturi saw the power that a hybrid possesses, they put an end to them and banned vampires and shifters from close relationships. If they find out about this imprinting, I fear the worst, Bella.”

“How does a hybrid even work?” Sam asked.

“A vampire, if they so chose to, could bite and infect a shifter with their venom. Or a shifter can give birth to a hybrid. Either way, they are nearly unstoppable. The Volturi fear them, as they are not able to control them. The Shifter Council also forbids these relationships as well out of fear.”

“What’s going to happen to Edward and me?”

“I cannot say what is to come of him, but we need to call your grandparents and make arrangements. We need to get you somewhere safe before more find out.”

Somewhere safe. That probably meant away from Forks. That meant away from Edward. My heart ached at the thought, but if that meant that he would be safe, then it would have to be. 

————-

Edward called me numerous times the next day, I avoided them at my grandparents and Billy’s request. As much as it pained me not to answer, losing him would be much harder. Creating this distance would hopefully make our separation easier for both of us. One day I’ll just be a memory to him, and hopefully, he will be the same to me. Right now, it was hard because I could think about were his lips pressed against mine, and how at that moment I felt he had put together all the broken pieces of myself. I wouldn’t be able to feel like that again.

Jacob drove me to pick up my truck from the library the next day. I also told Angela I’d work the last hour before closing for her to catch a movie with Eric. Jacob didn’t understand the full story, he didn’t understand the repercussions of what was going on. He just thought it was all an overreaction.

“I can’t believe dad is making me sit at a library for an hour while you’re working,” he grumbled as we pulled into the parking lot. I felt terrible, he was supposed to be hanging out with Embry and Quil.

“You can go,” I told him, “I won’t tell Billy you bailed out of babysitting duty.”

“Promise?” he asked me, grinning from ear to ear.

“I promise,” I said, smiling back at him, “besides, it’s only an hour. I’ll be home before Billy even realizes we’re gone.”

Angela was ready to leave when I arrived. We made brief small talk before she rushed out, wary of being late to her date. She had finished most of the tasks for the day, but just had a small stack of books that needed to be put away. 

As I started to set the books into their exact place, I hoped Edward would come through the door. It was doubtful, he wouldn’t know I’d be here now, but I could hope. I didn't listen to the messages he left on my phone, I deleted them immediately. I knew if I heard his voice, I’d be crawling back to him.

When closing time rolled around, I started to pack up my belongings. It would probably be the last time I’d step foot in this place, so I made sure to grab my pens and notebooks from the front desk. I made sure the lights were off before I made my way to the front door. Before stepping out, I realized I had forgotten my favorite mug in the break room and quickly ran to retrieve it. As I came back to the library’s main lobby, I heard the front door open and felt the cool spring breeze waft in. 

“Sorry,” I called out into the darkness, “We’re closed. We’ll open back up at 7 am tomorrow.”

Just as I finished my sentence, I caught the scent of the person who had entered. The sickly sweet smell lingered in the air, and I stood frozen in place. My eyes darted around the room, with only the moonlight peering in to help me see. She stood there, leaning against a bookshelf, with a book in hand, flipping through the pages coyly. Her red hair was almost glowing in the dark of the library, and it was the two of us, alone. 

Panic struck through me at that realization. If she were to attack me, I didn’t stand a chance. She would easily overpower me, I was weaker than she was without the others in my pack. I knew from chasing her throughout the forest that I would never be able to outrun her. Victoria dropped the book on the floor, and within seconds, she was standing a few feet away from me, her red eyes fixated on my face. She took one step closer before she spoke.

“My, my,” she uttered into the empty library, chills ran down my spine, hearing her voice for the first time, “what’s a little wolf like you doing all alone?”

I stayed silent, trying to think of a means of escape. Victoria got closer to me, her stench making my stomach turn. The corner of her lips started to curl into a crooked smile.

“I’ve been wondering, and maybe you can answer my question. What in the world does Edward Cullen want with a mutt like you?” 

We were only inches away now. She looked deep into my eyes. I felt as if she was staring into me. “You must be special to him if he is willing to be seen with you, but why?” her smile was a full grin now, “is it because you imprinted?”

Within a second, I shifted, I bared my teeth at her and snarled. Her eyes were blazing now, like two fires dancing in place. She was almost cackling, a crazed look in her eyes. As I ran passed her, she grabbed my leg and threw me into the ground. I gasped for air, stunned by the impact. She lifted my entire body and threw me into the metal bookshelves. Several cracks erupted from my chest, and I screamed out in pain as I started to shift back, my body unable to hold its changed form through the pain. I felt my ribs starting to form back together, but I knew they were healing in the incorrect place. The edges of my sight started to turn black and blur, and I felt myself fading away. 

————

I don’t know how many moments later it was, it could have been seconds or hours, but I felt the cold embrace of Edward lifting me from the floor. My eyes opened slightly, and I saw his face. He was panicked, and he wrapped his jacket around me. I winced in pain as he set me down in the backseat of his car. 

He called out my name as he sped down winding roads, trying to keep me conscious. 

————

When I finally woke up, I was in my bed. The lights were dim, and the cool spring air blew through my window. I ached all over, and slowly I started to remember what had happened. The last thing I remember was Edward’s face, his horrified look plastered in my mind. I don’t know how much time had passed if it was the same night or the next day. Looking down, I saw that I was wearing a silk tank top and shorts. The fabric was soft, I had never owned anything this nice before. I wondered who had put clothes on me and brought me back to my bed.

The door to my room cracked slightly, and Carlisle entered the room.

“Bella, you’re up. How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat at a chair by my bed. His hand gently pulled away the blanket, and his cold hand lifted the silk shirt. I felt his cold hand touch softly around my ribs. 

“I’m feeling okay,” I lied. “Where is Edward?”

Carlisle chuckled softly, as he continued to examine me, “Edward and your friend Paul got into quite the heated argument earlier, so he’s at home for now. I told him to take a few hours to calm down. Do you remember anything from earlier?”

I took a moment to regain my thoughts, “I just remember Victoria. And then Edward came. I don’t remember anything after that. Where is she?”

“Edward brought you to our home. You were pretty beaten up, I had to re-break your ribs because they were healing improperly. As for Victoria, she’s run off, we’ve all been searching, but Alice had a vision that she is heading to Italy. We believe she’s going to notify the Volturi of this situation,” he administered pain medication into an IV. 

“What are we going to do?” I asked him, feeling the pain start to numb. 

“We’re figuring it out, Bella. You need to rest.”

The medicine was really kicking in now, and I felt fuzzy, “It’s a bad idea, isn’t it? For Edward and I to be together?”

Carlisle packed up his bag with his medical supplies, “I think that the war between vampires and shifters has been going on for too long. I think there is room for change, and I believe that you and Edward can do that. We’re living in different times now. The fighting needs to stop.”

I started to drift back to sleep, feeling the pain subside. I didn’t know what would happen to Edward or me. All that I knew that I didn’t want to be away from him any longer.


	7. The Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took so long, been a busy month. Hope to have the next one out sooner!

I slept most of the next two days, feeling the pain subside. My body was working overtime, healing itself at an unnatural rate. I could bring myself to sit up in bed finally. Even though I was unconscious for most of the night, I could hear conversations in and out. Jacob and a few other boys had shifted the night Victoria had attacked me. It was my fault that they had to change. If it wasn’t for my selfishness, they could have stayed kids for a little longer, maybe forever. Now, they had to worry about the challenges of growing up and worrying about vampires and losing their shirts. 

The door creaked open slightly, and I saw my grandfather’s head poke in.

“Grandpa Charlie,” I called out when he entered the room. 

“Hey, Bella,” he managed to say with a smile. I couldn’t imagine what he must be thinking or going through. I was probably putting my poor grandparents through hell. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good,” I replied, sitting up a little straighter to show him that I was feeling better, “where’s grandma?”

“She’s in Phoenix still,” he told me. He sat down at the side of my bed. I didn’t want to look him in the eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, nervously, “I am so sorry for causing this mess.”

“It’s not your fault, Bella,” he put his hand on mine as a tear started to roll down my cheek, “this is nothing you are in control of.”

“What are we doing to do?”

“If you are feeling well enough today, I think we might have to visit with the Cullens.”

We piled into the car to drive into Forks. Billy and my grandfather were sitting in the front seat, and I sat in the back between Sam and Paul, still feeling sore. I don’t know why Paul had to come, he could have stayed back, and Jared could have come instead. Who knew what he would think just to piss Edward off? Especially since they had gotten into an argument just a few days ago. I questioned Sam’s judgment on this one. Maybe he didn’t trust Paul to be back with the boys who were new to shifting. 

I don’t know why we’re giving these bloodsuckers the time of day, Paul’s thoughts were ringing in my head. If anything, we should be protecting Bella from them, not taking her there.

Inside I was screaming for him to keep his thoughts quiet, but he couldn’t hear my plea. I wondered why no one could, not even Edward, who could listen to everyone’s thoughts. I couldn’t imagine how he lived how he does, having to deal with hearing so much. I could barely stand just a few voices in my head.

We pulled up to a house isolated in the middle of nowhere. It was grand and looked as if it was made entirely of glass. For people who tried to actively avoid sunlight, they lived in what looked like a greenhouse. As my eyes scanned the landscape, I saw Carlisle and Edward standing outside of their front door. Edward’s eyes met mine, and my heart skipped a beat. I wanted to run to him, like one of those cliche movie airport scenes, where the two lovers crash into each other as if it were their last moments. It had been only around a week since I had last seen Edward, but it felt like an eternity. 

Sam was the first to step out of the car and helped Billy into his wheelchair. We all gathered our thoughts before heading towards them. The rest of Edward’s coven stepped out onto the porch to join them. Alice and Rosalie scrunched their nose at the sight of us, most likely repulsed by the way we smelled. The only one who didn’t seem to react was Edward, who’s eyes lit up as we moved closer.

I pushed past Sam and Paul, not able to hold myself back. Edward met me halfway, almost floating down the porch steps towards me. He pulled me close into his arms and lifted me off the ground. I felt him breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling as he held me tightly. 

“Are you okay?” he set me down and held my cheeks in his cold hands, his eyes looking deeply into me. Every nervous feeling I had melted away. I nodded in response.

Carlisle spoke up, “Welcome everyone, please, come inside.”

Edward held my hand, and he led me into their glass mansion. The house reminded me of a modern art museum. Their white walls were bare aside from the occasional abstract painting. On the marble tables, there were decorative silver bowls and glass sculptures. I could probably run a gloved finger over any surface here, and not a speck of dust would be seen. 

We all sat down awkwardly, with Edward on one side of me, and Paul on the other. I felt as if my mind was being berated by Paul’s inner monolog, angry at the situation. I felt the heat from his body radiating from his anger. At any moment, he could burst out. All in the background, I could hear Sam trying to calm him down.

“Do you know if that vampire has made her way to the Volturi yet?” Grandpa Charlie asked Carlisle.

“Not yet, but she will soon. And they won’t be pleased. They will most likely make their way here once they learn of Bella imprinting. Our best will be to ask for an audience with the Volturi and explain the situation.”

“What’s the situation?” I asked.

Edward hesitantly responded, “That if we were to be together, I wouldn’t turn you.” He paused for a moment. “And we wouldn’t have children.”

“Oh,” I sat there, speechless. I hadn’t thought about the future, our future. 

“What makes you so sure that they’ll even believe you? They’ll kill her the second she steps in front of them” Paul snapped at Edward, “And what makes you think we believe you? You could turn her at any moment if you wanted to. Make her some sort of pet for you to play with.”

Edward’s face twisted into a look of disgust, his eyes glaring at Paul now. I felt him tense up next to me, his mouth opening to respond.

“Paul,” Billy interrupted, breaking the tension, “do not be rude. They invited us here as guests. We all have Bella’s best interest in mind.”

Paul sat back, respecting Billy’s authority, but his thoughts still were running rampant. It went from hurt and anger to confusion on why we were defending them. After the pain that vampires have caused humanity and shifters.

After a moment, Charlie spoke up, “It would be in our best interest to gain an audience with The Council as well. We need them to be on our side in case things go poorly with your people.”

“Won’t they be upset too?” I asked Charlie.

He sighed deeply, “Many of us are tired of fighting, Bella. We want peace. This may well bring that. This may be the chance for shifters to show their equality, and that our union can make us stronger together.”

I looked down at mine and Edward’s hands; our fingers were interlocked. I felt so deeply for him. I would do anything to keep him safe. And the way that he looked at me, I felt like he would do the same.

“So this calls for a trip to Sweden and Italy then,” Carlisle said. “I’ll book our trips for us to leave in a few days. I’ll book all of our trips, but I don’t think it would be wise if any more than our coven and Bella visited the Volturi.”

“So, you’ll just have her all alone?” Paul growled, “they’ll kill her.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Bella,” Edward said to only me. “I promise.”

———————————

“Bella, you don’t have to go,” Paul said to me as I packed a few more items into a small bag. He was leaning against the doorframe, not yet entering the room.

“Paul,” I took a deep breath and held it, trying to calm my nerves from the uncertainty. He walked towards me and pushed away a strand of my hair that had fallen in my face. It had gotten long since I had last cut it. 

Bella, just stay here. 

“You don’t understand. You won’t until it happens to you.”

It won’t matter then, his voice filled my head, I’ll still love you. 

His lips pressed against mine. The warmth surprised me. It was the complete opposite of the way it felt when Edward had kissed me. When Edward kissed me, I felt my entire body melt in his arms, like nothing else mattered. This felt superficial, and that the only reason he kissed me was because we had before, and he wanted to keep some sort of normalcy. 

I pushed away from him and threw my bag over my shoulder. “Take care, Paul.”

———————————

As we drove through the Swedish countryside, I couldn’t help but think how different my life would have been if I had come here instead of going to Washington. I was horrified about having to stand in front of the council and plead my case to them. Charlie had contacted them earlier, so they were expecting us, but I’m not sure if they knew we were coming with so many vampires. 

Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle were here in support of Edward and me. We would meet up with the rest of Edward’s family in Italy in a few days, without Charlie there. It was nice to have Alice around, though; she was sweet. Talking to her was easy, and she distracted me from worrying about what was to come. She seemed to have endless stories as well, I didn’t even need to pick up my book on the plane. Edward gave my hand a soft squeeze as we pulled up to the gated city. 

The homes and buildings were tightly packed together. They were cute pastel colors. It looked like a picturesque postcard town. People from all over the world lived here in harmony. It was a safe place for shifters and their families to live. As our van drove through the city, dirty looks were shot in our direction. They must have been expecting us to some extent.

We pulled up to a tall building in the center of the city. I was exhausted from the long plane ride. We had barely gotten a break since landing. I stepped out of the van and took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air. A moment of clarity hit me quickly.

I was a few weeks away from graduating. A few college acceptance letters were sitting on my desk that I hadn’t even had the chance to look at yet. Billy had to call my school and excuse me for over a week due to a “family emergency.” This was all so overwhelming, and my chest tightened as a flood of worry came over me.

“You okay, Bella?” Edward asked in a hushed voice. I nodded as I tried to catch my breath.

Charlie led us inside, where we took an elevator to the top floor of this office building. It seemed to be teeming with activity. People were walking around with briefcases and going about their business. If we were placed anywhere else, it would just be a typical office building. They probably didn’t have to deal so much with vampires, so they didn’t seem to be on alert like how we were in Washington.

When we got to the top floor, the receptionist at the front desk furled her eyebrows at the sight of the Cullens. 

“Charlie Swan,” she said, “the Council will see you and your party now.”

She led down the hallway behind her and opened the doors to reveal a vast conference room. A round table faced the front door, and four people were sitting at it, waiting for us. Behind them were glass windows, overlooking the town with a perfect view of the mountainside. The two men and two women were in suits, reminiscent of a job interview. My stomach sank.

“Charlie,” the oldest man in the room spoke out loud, his gray mustache turning into a smile, “it’s good to see you.”

“You as well, Tomas,” Charlie replied. “This is my granddaughter, Isabella.”

“Oh my, you look just like your mother,” Tomas said. “I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful soul.”

My mother. I missed her so much that the mention of her shook me. Another person who remembered my mom, I wanted to ask him all that he knew of her and if he could share a story or two, but this wasn’t the time for that. 

“So, Charlie, Isabella, what brings you here? And what brings your guests here?” a woman with glasses questioned. She was looking at a file set down in front of her.

“We are coming to ask for your support,” Charlie cleared his throat. “Bella is the first case of a shifter imprinting on a vampire within this century, if not longer. They share a bond that is sacred among our kind, and to pull them apart would be cruel.”

“This union is heavily forbidden, not only to our kind but theirs as well. They, as well as everyone associated, should be aware of this fact.” The woman with glasses was stern. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun. Her eyes did not break away from the papers in front of her. It was almost as if she were a teacher, scolding her students for breaking the rules. The rest of the Council seemed quiet, shocked at the news.

“A vampire, not related to our coven, had found out about their relationship,” Carlisle interjected, “she is going straight to the Volturi with this news. I fear for the safety of Edward and Isabella. We are asking for your help in protecting them and potentially moving towards peace between our people.”

“You should fear for their safety,” the woman said aggressively. “They’ve put themselves in danger. It is not up to the entirety of our species to protect a few who have traversed muddy waters. To stand behind this union will cause undue bloodshed from your kind.”

“Belinda, please,” Tomas’s voice was pleading, “hear them out.”

“I’ve heard enough,” her voice cut back like a knife. 

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked, shocked that my thoughts had escaped my lips. Belinda looked up at me, the first time she had made eye contact with anyone. “Aren’t you tired of always being at war? Maybe this is the chance to show that we are equals and that we’re not the savages they believe us to be. I was always told to fear vampires and that they were bloodsucking demons. But I met Edward, and his coven, I learned more about them.”

“And did you learn that for centuries they’ve tried to eradicate us from this world? How they’ve enslaved and murdered us? Your imprint clouds you. Vampires like the ones you’ve brought today are rare.” 

Edward spoke for the first time, and his voice almost cracked as it came out, “I can’t begin to understand what we have done to shapeshifters since the beginning of our existence. I want to assure you that the ones responsible are few in numbers these days. Imprinting is something I’ve never really understood. It wasn’t until it happened where I truly saw the power shifters possessed. It doesn’t come from fear; it comes from love. 

I am in love with Bella. I will do anything in my power to make sure that we are safe and that those who happen to be in our place in the future are as well.”

The room fell silent. I glanced over at Edward to see him looking down. Belinda was staring right at him now, her eyes wide. I could tell that the council was discussing within their thoughts about the situation by the subtle changes in their facial expressions. A few moments passed in silence, and Edward’s head raised in attention. The side of his lip pulled into a soft smile.

“We will stand by you in hopes of a brighter future for us all,” Tomas said. 

————————

“Take care of her,” Charlie said to Edward as we picked up our bags to head onto our flight to Italy. 

“I will, I promise Charlie,” he said as they shook hands.

Charlie hugged me tightly and whispered for me to be careful on my travels. I wanted him to come with us, but I knew it would be far too dangerous. I was physically and mentally exhausted, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I sat down on the airplane. Edward sat down and handed me a granola bar. 

“I haven’t seen you eat yet. Our schedules have been a little hectic,” he said softly, adjusting into his seat. 

“Thank you,” I replied. We hadn’t really had a break since we left Washington. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, how are you?” he asked me. 

“Better now, but I guess that was the easier of the two.” 

“Yeah, it was. The shapeshifter’s leadership is quite modern. The Volturi, on the other hand, are very old-fashioned. More like a monarchy rather than a governing body.”

“Hopefully, I can win them over with a speech as good as you gave today,” I teased slightly, still thinking of what he said. He smirked at my comment.

“I meant every word of it,” he chuckled, intertwining his fingers into mine, and he rested back into his chair. 

I didn’t know what the next few days had in store for us or what was to come. Alice was lucky; she could see what would happen. I wondered what she knew about our visit to the Volturi and if I would fare well. The only thing I was for sure of is that if I had Edward by my side, we would be okay.


	8. The Volturi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Enjoy!!

I really wondered how well off the Cullens were from the first-class airplane tickets to the high-end car rentals. We were now pulling up to one of the most beautiful hotels I’d ever seen. My jaw nearly dropped at the architecture of it. The marbled floors and pillars reflected almost everything against its surface. The rest of their coven was waiting for us in the lobby of the hotel. Esme and Carlisle embraced when they saw each other. I’m sure she was glad to see him safe.

It was strange that for as long as they lived as vampires. It was almost as if they had something pulling them together like imprinting. Maybe it didn’t happen as quickly or fully as imprinting; perhaps it was more of a slow burn. 

The ride up in the elevator seemed to last too long. I could see the look on Rosalie’s face, repulsed by the way I smelled. I felt embarrassed and pushed myself further into the corner, hoping for the doors to open and let us out. 

I fumbled with the key to my room for a second before it opened to reveal an elegant setting. The window overlooked the small boutiques and street vendors below. I set down my bags and immediately went on a search for the silk robes that these five-star hotels always have hiding in a closet. In the bathroom, I managed to find designer linens and soaps, smelling from a range of lavender to citrus. 

A knock at the door startled me, and I nearly dropped a tiny bottle of lotion. I made my way to the front door and looked through the peephole to see Edward waiting. I opened the door and let him inside. 

“How are you settling in?” he asked. I sat on the edge of the bed and swung my feet.

“I’m settling in just fine. It’s beautiful here.”

Edward sat next to me, and I rested my head on his shoulder. 

“You look exhausted,” he said softly to me. 

“I am. I guess I haven’t gotten much sleep lately with all the travel.” I sat up straight and stretched. My body was still sore from Victoria’s attack, but I was fully functional. 

He stood up and pulled the covers back, and I laid down on the soft mattress, my head sinking into the feathered pillows. Edward tucked the blanket back over me. My eyes felt heavy, wanting to close even though it was still the afternoon. He kissed my forehead before turning away.

“You’re leaving?” I asked, my words drifting off. I patted the empty spot on the bed next to me, signaling him to lay down. He chuckled and laid down on top of the comforter, and I shifted on my side to lay my head on his cold chest. It was still, unnaturally so.

“You’re so warm,” he whispered, his fingers ran through my hair. 

“And you’re cold,” I said back, looking up at him. Our eyes met, and though I felt like I was seconds away from falling into a deep slumber, I didn’t want to go to sleep. Our lips were seconds away from each other; my heart beat fast in my chest. 

“Bella,” Alice’s voice called out, and I heard the door creak open. I sat up quickly, feeling my face turn hot in embarrassment. 

“Hi, Alice,” I replied.

“Oh, um. Did I interrupt something?” she asked.

“Yes,” Edward said with a soft chuckle. “She’s tired, Alice.”

“Oh, sorry, I just wanted to steal you away for a little, Bella. I thought we could go to some of the cute boutiques and stuff around here.”

“Yes, that sounds like fun,” I responded quickly as I got out of bed. Alice tied a scarf around her head and put on sunglasses.

“Bella, if you’re tired, you should rest,” Edward pleaded. I shook my head and smiled at him as Alice took my hand and led me out of the door.

We went into several of the small shops, looking at clothes and jewelry. I looked at Alice. She was dressed beautifully as always with a long sleeve blouse and designer jeans. Looking down, I felt a little ashamed. It definitely reflected the salary of a part time librarian, especially one that bursts out of her clothes every so often.

“There’s one more store I want to go by before we head back to the hotel,” she said as we picked up her many bags of new items she had acquired.

She led me to a quaint store with mannequins dressed in elegant clothing. When we walked in, the old lady behind the counter greeted us in Italian. Alice responded, and they had a short conversation that I couldn’t understand. The old woman smiled and motioned me to come towards the dressing room. 

We spent the next 30 minutes squeezing me into an ornate red and gold dress. It was long, and there was a train that flowed behind me. When the shop owner finished tightening the corset, she trotted me out like a show horse to Alice.

“Bella, you look beautiful,” Alice gasped. She walked a circle around me, picking up the fabric in some areas to see the quality.

“I didn’t realize we were shopping for me, it’s a really nice dress,” I blushed. She stood behind me as we looked into the mirror, and she toyed with my hair. Alice’s hair was even shorter than mine, and I could tell by the look on her face that she was contemplating different ways to style it.

“It’s the perfect dress,” she said, smiling. She turned back to the old woman and handed her money, “you’ll look amazing tomorrow.”

“I’m wearing this tomorrow?” I asked, curious as to why I would need this gaudy dress.

“Mhmm,” she replied as she pulled a choker around my neck and tied it tightly, “the Volturi are… old fashioned. They expect everyone to follow their near barbaric rules. The more we play along, the easier it will go. Aro is going to take great interest in you.”

“Why is that?” 

“He’s like Edward. He can read thoughts. When he finds out he can’t read yours, he’s going to want to keep you close. Which seems like a bad thing, but it means that he’ll want to keep you alive.”

“So we’re dressing me up like a big present for him?” I laughed nervously.

“Yes,” she said, smiling at me as she made more adjustments to the dress. Her face was focused on every thread. “Edward is lucky to have found you. I haven’t seen him this happy before.”

“Do you know? If things will turn out okay?”

“When I try to see anything about you in the future, it’s always cloudy. Your shield is powerful. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow exactly, but I am hopeful.”

The walk back to the hotel was exhausting. I almost fell asleep as I lugged the heavy dress in my arms down the road. Alice was chatty, and I could barely keep up with the conversation.

“I’ll come by early tomorrow to help you get ready, okay?” Alice said to me as I tried to scan my room key. I nodded and murmured a good night before making my way to the bed. 

———————-

I woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. My nightmare was filled with imagery of Edward being torn apart by pale figures as I screamed out for him. The glow of the digital clock was blinking at the time of 2:45 AM. Alice and I had probably gotten back to the hotel around 7 o’clock, and I had been asleep since then. 

I decided to take advantage of the amenities and drew a bath for myself. The bathroom filled with steam and the scent of lavender as I let myself relax in the warm water. There was a pit in my stomach every time I thought about seeing the Volturi today. Every minute that ticked by meant that I was closer to meeting them. Once my fingertips started to prune, I got out of the tub and wrapped myself in the silk robe that was provided by the hotel. 

After a few moments of pacing around in my room, I found myself standing outside of Edward’s room, still damp from my shower, in just the robe and some slippers. Before I could turn back to my room to rethink my outfit, the door opened.

“How long have you been standing here, Bella?” he asked in a hushed tone with a smirk. He stood in the doorway, his shirt half unbuttoned, and his eyes locked onto me. I couldn’t control myself, I leaped into his arms, and he held me as our lips clashed together. He pressed me up against the wall. His body felt like ice melting on my skin. 

Edward carried me to the bed, our lips never breaking contact. He set me down on the soft sheets, finally pulling away so I could catch my breath. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his fingers brushing against my cheek. He pulled the robe back over my shoulders, covering me.

“Don’t be sorry,” I murmured, pulling him in again. Edward’s lips left mine and trailed down my neck, and I felt him pause when he found my pulse.

“Your heart is racing,” he whispered. 

“I love you,” I said to him with full sincerity, scared to death to utter the words into existence. He smiled as he kissed me once more, lingering for a few seconds.

“I love you too, Bella.”

——————

A few hours later, I woke up to find Edward sitting in a chair reading. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, and Edward’s skin reflected it back, sparkling beautifully. His eyes were focused on the page, and his brow was slightly furled. I sat up and stretched. The soreness from my chest was mostly gone. Edward looked up at me and smiled. He stood up and walked over to the side of the bed.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said as he leaned down and kissed me deeply. My morning breath didn’t seem to phase him in the slightest. “Alice is looking for you.”

Seconds later, a knock was at the door. I pulled the robe tight around myself and followed Edward. He opened the door, and Alice pushed past him.

“There you are, Bella,” she said as she shot a look at Edward, “are you ready?”

The next two hours were spent with Alice and, more surprisingly, Rosalie. Rosalie braided my hair back with orange clips. She was quiet compared to Alice, who seemed to have something to say at all times. I looked at her in the mirror, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone as beautiful. We looked directly into each other’s eyes through the mirror. The look on her face for once was not disgust; it was soft. It felt as if she was trying to comfort me.

When we were all dressed and ready, we headed down to the lobby to meet everyone else. The men were all dressed in suits, and Esme was in a gown as well. It looked as if we were all going to prom. 

Prom. That would be coming up soon as well. Something I’d likely miss out on because of the complications of being a werewolf in love with a vampire. Edward walked towards me, eying me up and down. 

“I know, I look ridiculous,” I whispered as I struggled to walk in the ornate dress.

“You look beautiful,” he said to me as he smiled, holding back laughter. 

When we arrived at the Volturi Castle, every hair on my body stood up. The feeling of shifting was stirring in me, and it took every ounce of will power to hold it back. With this many vampires around, my instinct to turn was taking over.

We were led towards a massive cathedral-like chamber, lit by candles and lanterns. Three thrones were set upon a platform, and three men occupied them. The one in the center had long, black hair with ruby eyes. His pale face was pointed, almost triangular. When we entered, I swore I saw a smile pull upon his deep red lips.

“Ah, the Cullens,” Aro said as we came to the center of the chamber. “Welcome, we’ve been waiting patiently for your arrival.”

“It’s good to see you again, Aro,” Carlisle replied. “This is Isabella Swan. She’s come a long way to meet you.”

Aro gave me a hollow smile, his eyes heavily fixated on me. He stood up and walked towards us, the boots of his heels clicking against the stone flooring. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. You are quite pretty for your kind, aren’t you? I can see why my dear friend Edward here has taken a liking to you,” he held his hand out to me. I looked over towards Edward, and he nodded. My blood was boiling, and with hesitation, I set my hand into his. Aro clasped it, closing his eyes. We stood there in silence for almost a minute. When he opened his eyes, he grinned at me from ear to ear. He looked at me with almost a hunger in his eyes. “Absolutely nothing. I can’t see a thing.”

Aro then took Edward’s hand in his. They stood still for a few seconds before breaking away. Aro walked back to his throne and spoke to the two other men. After a few moments, they all turned to face us.

“We can see that the hold Isabella has on you is strong, Edward. However, we all know the outcome if we allow you to continue to be together. We cannot let this proceed,” he paused, looking Edward directly in the eyes. “I am in a predicament, though. Both of you are very unique. We would hate to kill either of you. It would be a waste of your talents.”

“She’s not going to be your pet,” Edward said through gritted teeth, stepping towards them. Immediately, a cloaked figure swept in from the chamber’s side and grabbed Edward by the throat.

Carlisle interrupted, “Aro, please. We’ve discussed this together. No laws or boundaries will be broken with their union. Give them a chance.”

“Carlisle, don’t be naive. You know as well as I do that these things cannot be prevented. We’ve seen it in the past. Promises are futile. If we kill the girl, those beasts won’t be too pleased with us. We’ll have to take care of our own.” Aro made a motion with his hand, and the hooded figure started to pull Edward away. 

“Wait!” I cried out. Aro lifted his hand, the hooded man stopped dragging Edward and held him down on his knees. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just please don’t hurt him.”

Aro’s eyes were glowing, his mouth still turned into a smile. “If that is what Isabella wishes, so it shall be.”


End file.
